National Council of Child Welfare and UNICEF launch State of Sudanese Children

Khartoum, 23 September 2012. While encouraging achievements in child rights and welfare have been registered in Sudan in recent years, challenges remain, according to the State of Sudanese Children report, released today by the National Council of Child Welfare (NCCW) and UNICEF Sudan. The report shows Sudan’s progress in childhood indicators between 2006 and 2010, and outlines specific actions for every state that need to be taken in order to meet remaining challenges.

"The report is a call to fulfill children’s rights and provide welfare, protection and other services for every child. The growing awareness of communities on the child rights will support our efforts to improve the life of our children. Strengthening the concerned institutions at national and state levels is crucial for a joint action to guarantee the child rights in coordination with national and international partners", says Fathelrahman Mohamed Babiker, NCCW Secretary General, officer-in-charge.

In 1990, Sudan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, guaranteeing children their human rights, including the right to survival, development, protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation, as well as full participation in family, cultural and social life. The passing of the Child Act in 2010 further solidified that commitment.

“Half of the Sudanese population, or about 15 million, are children or under the age of 18”, says Ray Virgilio Torres, officer-in-charge of UNICEF Sudan. “Investing in their rights today means development and prosperity for the entire country for decades to come. There is no sounder investment”.

The SoSC report is a compilation of the most recent socioeconomic and demographic data available in Sudan, mainly from the second Sudan Household Health Survey (SHHS2) conducted by Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health in 2010. Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics’ Sudan Population and Housing Census 2008 and National Baseline Household Survey 2009, as well as the Ministry of Education’s education statistics are other important sources of information used in the publication.

Some highlights:

Between 2006 and 2010, under-five mortality decreased from 102 to 78 deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality has fallen from 71 to 57 deaths per 1,000 live births, and neonatal mortality from 36 to 33.

Relying on 2010 data, a projected 76,000 children of the 1.33 million born each year will die from preventable disease before their first birthday, and a further 104,000 will die before their fifth.

While there has been a significant increase in enrolment, almost 2 million primary school-aged children are still out of school.

NCCW and UNICEF hope that this report will serve as a practical tool for state and federal governments, civil society, academia, and the UN alike in identifying the critical issues related to children that require a concerted response. The report is being rolled out to all states through workshops and training on how to analyse and utilise the report in policy advocacy.